It started early in the morning, when thousands of Miami Hurricanes fans descended upon the university’s Coral Gables campus and gave the college football world a show for the ages.
The scene shifted to Hard Rock Stadium Saturday evening, where thousands more were treated to another memorable show.
The Canes conducted a defensive masterclass from start to finish, defeating the Florida Gators 26-7 before a sellout crowd of 66,713. Fourth-ranked Miami improved to 4-0, while Florida fell to 1-3.
The Canes’ defense held UF to just 141 total yards while racking up four sacks and seven tackles for loss. The Gators had 13 third-down opportunities and didn’t convert one. Linebacker Mohamed Toure led the onslaught with 10 tackles and a sack. Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe recorded eight stops, and defensive end Reuben Bain registered seven and half a sack.
Meanwhile, the Canes racked up 344 total yards on 76 plays. Running back Mark Fletcher rushed for 116 yards and one touchdown and fellow back Marty Brown rushed for 80 yards and two scores. Quarterback Carson Beck completed 17 of 30 passes for 160 yards and one interception. Four Canes tied for the team lead with four receptions.
Gators quarterback DJ Lagway completed just 12 of 23 passes for 61 yards. Running back Jadan Baugh rushed for 46 yards and had Florida’s lone touchdown. Defensive back Jordan Castell paced UF with 10 tackles.
The Gators received the ball to open the night and Miami’s defense forced a quick three-and-out. Fletcher started the Canes off with a 13-yard run to the Florida 43 before Beck hit wide receiver Malachi Toney for a 13-yard gain to pick up another first down.
Beck dumped a screen pass to Brown, who scampered down the left sidelines for 22 yards to set up first and goal at the six-yard line. Two plays later, Brown finished off the drive with a two-yard run and Miami had a 7-0 lead.
Florida couldn’t move the chains on its next drive and the Canes took over at their 28. Beck connected with wide receiver CJ Daniels and tight end Elija Lofton to pick up consecutive first downs and move the ball past midfield. Brown bulldozed for 12 yards before Beck converted another third and long with an eight-yard strike to Toney.
Defensive end Jayden Woods sacked Beck to stifle the drive, but Carter Davis nailed a 53-yard field goal to give the Canes a double-digit lead. Miami had 108 yards through two drives, while the Gators had five.
UF picked up its initial first down on a fourth-down rush by running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, but both offenses stalled until the Canes got the ball back at their 38 with 4:50 left in the first half. Beck hit Toney out wide for 16-yard gain, and then Brown gained 18 yards on consecutive snaps to the Florida 26. Two plays later Beck connected with Lofton on a 17-yard pass to set up first and goal at the six-yard line.
But an illegal snap penalty pushed the Canes back and Miami settled for a 28-yard field goal by Davis to push the lead to 13-0 at halftime.
The Canes got the ball to start the second stanza, moving across midfield before Brown picked up a 4th and 1 with a…three-yard gain. But Beck failed to connect with Daniels on 3rd and 4 and the Gators took over at their own 20.
Jackson rushed for 27 yards — UF’s longest play of the game to that point – and the Gators marched all the way down to the Miami 15. On 4th and 2, Lagway rushed around the right end to move the chains. Two plays, Baugh scampered into the end zone from seven yards out and Florida had cut the lead to six points.
On Miami’s next offensive snap, Beck looked deep down the middle for Daniels, but defensive back Cormani McClain stepped in front of the pass and picked it off at the UF 48. Three plays later, the Gators lined up to go for it on 4th and 3. Lagway completed a five-yard pass to wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant to keep the drive alive.
Toure dropped Lagway in the backfield for a nine-yard loss, and the Gators went for it on another 4th and 3. But this time defensive end Marquise Lightfoot stopped wide receiver TJ Abrams just short of the chains. Miami took over at its 31. Florida forced a quick three-and-out and got the ball back at its 18. But safety Jakobe Thomas and defensive tackle David Blay stuffed Baugh on third down and the Canes went on offense again with 11:20 remaining.
Beck tossed a screen pass to Brown, who raced 16 yards to the Miami 40 to give the Canes some breathing room. Brown picked up another first down with a six-yard run. The clock was moving and so were the Canes.
Beck completed a nine-yard pass to Lofton and then Miami ran the ball seven straight times, the last a one-yard dive by Brown that made it a two-score game. It was a 13-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 7:12.
On the ensuing drive, Bain and fellow defensive end Akheem Mesidor sacked Lagway on second down and the quarterback threw incomplete on 4th and 12. Miami took over at the Gators 22, and Fletcher covered the rest of the real estate on four carries to punctuate the victory for Miami.
The Canes are off next Saturday before traveling to Tallahassee for their ACC opener against No. 7 Florida State on October 4. Kickoff time TBD.
